It turns out that the octopus picked up by an Australian girl is a blue-ringed octopus, one of the most venomous species in the world.
Many people, especially women, often have a soft spot for small, cute creatures. However, they may not realize that these tiny beings can sometimes be far more dangerous than larger animals.
Recently, an Australian netizen named Katapillah posted a video on TikTok showing her discovery of a mini octopus with striking colors at the beach.
In the viral images, Katapillah holds the small octopus in her palm, continuously praising its cuteness. In fact, her affection for the octopus was so strong that she even added the song “Under The Sea”, the theme song from the famous animated film “The Little Mermaid.”
Image posted by Katapillah.
Unexpectedly, after the video was shared, many sharp-eyed netizens pointed out that the mini octopus in Katapillah’s hand is actually a blue-ringed octopus, a highly venomous and aggressive species. They repeatedly warned her to dispose of the deadly octopus immediately if she didn’t want to risk her life.
According to research, the blue-ringed octopus is one of the most venomous species in the world. Although it is only the size of a golf ball, the venom of a blue-ringed octopus is many times more potent than that of a cobra. Specifically, the amount of venom from one blue-ringed octopus can kill 26 adult humans within minutes.
Blue-ringed octopus.
Their bites are small and often painless, with many victims not realizing they have been envenomated until they begin to experience respiratory distress and paralysis. Notably, there is currently no antivenom for blue-ringed octopus bites.
The non-profit environmental organization Ocean Conservancy also warns that if bitten by a blue-ringed octopus, you will experience symptoms such as total body paralysis, heart failure, nausea, and ultimately respiratory failure. At this point, if immediate medical attention is provided, including artificial respiration until the victim can breathe on their own, most people who are envenomated will survive, gradually recovering after 24 hours.
